<div class="ExternalClassD5234DAA6D474D5DB085372A172426D1"><p>PHILADELPHIA — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will honor Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, with the ninth annual Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship at the <a href="/Meetings/Pages/MeetingDetail.aspx?EventItemID=25">AACR Annual Meeting 2015</a>, to be held in Philadelphia, April 18-22. <img alt="Lewis C. Cantley, PhD" src="/PublishingImages/Cantley_Lewis_150x200.jpg" style="margin&#58;10px;vertical-align&#58;auto;float&#58;right;" /></p><p><a href="http&#58;//vivo.med.cornell.edu/display/cwid-lec2014" target="_blank">Cantley</a>, the Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, the Margaret and Herman Sokol professor in oncology research, and a professor of cancer biology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, is being recognized for his seminal contributions to the field of growth factor and oncogene signaling. </p><p>This lectureship honors his discovery of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) enzyme and his subsequent work delineating the PI3K signaling pathway. His research has shown that this pathway is commonly activated in cancer and has paved the way for the development of therapeutics aimed at inhibiting PI3K signaling. This work is already having a genuine impact on cancer patients.</p><p>He will present his lecture, “Targeting PI3K for Cancer Therapy,” Monday, April 20, 3&#58;30 p.m. ET, in the Grand Ballroom of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Cantley is also chair of this year’s AACR Annual Meeting Scientific Program Committee.</p><p>“It is an honor to receive this prestigious award. Princess Takamatsu dedicated her life to improving cancer treatments and the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund, founded in her honor, has continued this worthy tradition. I am pleased to have a chance to present our research on targeting PI3K for cancer therapy,” said Cantley.</p><p>The <a href="/Research/Awards/PAGES/PRINCESS-TAKAMATSU-LECTURESHIP-RECIPIENTS___8470D6.ASPX">AACR Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship</a> is presented to a scientist whose novel and significant work had or may have a far-reaching impact on the detection, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer, and who embodies the dedication of the princess to multinational collaborations. Her Imperial Highness Princess Kikuko Takamatsu was instrumental in promoting cancer research and encouraging cancer scientists. She became a champion for these causes following her mother’s death from bowel cancer in 1933 at the young age of 43.</p><p>A preeminent cancer researcher whose discoveries about the mechanisms that drive the development of cancer has encouraged new approaches to therapy, Cantley is credited with a key role in elucidating the molecular components of several signaling networks that are fundamental to cell growth. His most significant contribution to cancer research has been his 1988 discovery of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) enzyme. This laid the foundation for his subsequent work, which revealed how biochemical signaling pathways control normal cell growth and trigger the development of cancer when they are defective. His demonstration of how PI3K is activated by growth factors and oncogenes, coupled with the delineation of the components of the PI3K signaling pathway, including Akt/PKB, have been critically important for the development of personalized cancer therapies. Cantley’s work has also indicated that PI3K is a significant factor in both insulin signaling and immune cell signaling, which has major implications for the treatment of diabetes and other immune-related diseases.</p><p>An active AACR member, Cantley is a founding co-editor-in-chief of <em>Cancer Discovery</em>, a member of the AACR board of directors, an elected fellow of the AACR Academy, and a leader of the Stand Up to Cancer Dream Team, “Targeting PI3K in Women’s Cancers.”</p><p>Cantley’s scientific accomplishments have been recognized with numerous additional honors throughout his career, including the Canada Gairdner International Award, the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, the H.C. Jacobaeus Prize, the Pasarow Award for Cancer Research, the Rolf Luft Award from the Karolinska Institute, the Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research, and the Caledonian Prize Lectureship in Biomedical Science from the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Additionally, he is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.</p><p>Cantley received his doctorate from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and completed his postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Before joining Weill Cornell Medical College in 2012, Cantley was director of the Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, chief of the Division of Signal Transduction at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and professor of systems biology at Harvard Medical School. </p><p><a href="/Documents/15AM_Press_Registration_Form.pdf" target="_blank">Press registration</a> for the AACR Annual Meeting 2015 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.</p><p><a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank"><img alt="#AACR15" src="/PublishingImages/Twitter-bird-blue-on-white_50x50.jpg" style="margin&#58;5px;" /></a>&#160;<a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#AACR15</a></p></div>

<div class="ExternalClassED536CEF14A04F2BA7491EF2A3FB77AF"><p>PHILADELPHIA — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will honor Christopher R. Vakoc, MD, PhD, assistant professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, with the 35th annual AACR Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research Award at the <a href="/Meetings/Pages/MeetingDetail.aspx?EventItemID=25">AACR Annual Meeting 2015</a>, to be held in Philadelphia, April 18-22. <img alt="Christopher R. Vakoc, MD, PhD" src="/PublishingImages/Vakoc_Christopher_150x200.jpg" style="margin&#58;10px;vertical-align&#58;auto;float&#58;right;" /></p><p>Since 1979, the <a href="/Research/Awards/PAGES/OUTSTANDING-ACHIEVEMENT-AWARD___8470D6.ASPX">AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research</a> is awarded to an investigator younger than 40 years of age to recognize his or her meritorious achievements within the field of cancer research. </p><p><a href="http&#58;//www.cshl.edu/Faculty/Christopher-Vakoc.html" target="_blank">Vakoc</a> is being recognized for his groundbreaking discoveries in the areas of epigenetics and cancer biology. More specifically, for his research on the basic molecular mechanisms that control leukemias, which revealed an essential connection between epigenetic regulation and oncogenesis. This work subsequently led to the development of potential new therapeutic approaches that are currently being evaluated in early stage clinical trials. </p><p>He will present his lecture, “Chromatin Regulators as Cancer Dependencies,” Tuesday, April 21, 4&#58;15 p.m. ET, in the Terrace Ballroom II/III of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.</p><p>“I am grateful to the AACR for this award and recognizing the impact that basic research in epigenetics and cancer biology can have on therapeutics,” Vakoc said.&#160; “I am excited about the future of my research and the potential to improve the lives of patients battling leukemias and other cancers.”</p><p>Vakoc has been recognized with numerous other honors, including the “A” Award from Alex’s Lemonade Stand, the V Scholar Grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Forbeck Scholar Award, the Sass Foundation Fellowship, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award for Medical Scientists, and the Sass Foundation for Medical Research Fellow Award.</p><p>He joined CSHL in 2008 as a fellow and became a faculty member in 2011 when appointed assistant professor. Vakoc received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University in University Park in 2001 and his doctoral and medical degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, in 2005 and 2007, respectively, where he was also a postdoctoral fellow.</p><p><a href="/Documents/15AM_Press_Registration_Form.pdf" target="_blank">Press registration</a> for the AACR Annual Meeting 2015 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.</p><p><a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank"><img alt="#AACR15" src="/PublishingImages/Twitter-bird-blue-on-white_50x50.jpg" style="margin&#58;5px;" /></a>&#160;<a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#AACR15</a></p></div>

<div class="ExternalClass6043FB9DEB51499E94EEC1536FB194AA"><p>PHILADELPHIA&#160; — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will recognize Philip S. Low, PhD, with the ninth annual AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry in Cancer Research at the <a href="/Meetings/Pages/MeetingDetail.aspx?EventItemID=25">AACR Annual Meeting 2015</a>, to be held in Philadelphia, April 18-22.<img alt="Philip S. Low, PhD" src="/PublishingImages/Low_Philip_150x200.jpg" style="margin&#58;10px;vertical-align&#58;auto;float&#58;right;" /></p><p><a href="http&#58;//www.chem.purdue.edu/low/bio.html" target="_blank">Low </a>is the Ralph C. Corley distinguished professor of chemistry and director of the Center for Drug Discovery at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He is also a founder and chief science officer of two biopharmaceutical companies, Endocyte, Inc. and On Target Laboratories LLC.</p><p>He will present his award lecture, “Ligand-targeted Imaging and Therapeutic Agents for Cancer,” Tuesday, April 21, 3 p.m. ET, in the Terrace Ballroom II/III of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.</p><p>The AACR and its Chemistry in Cancer Research Working Group established the <a href="/RESEARCH/AWARDS/PAGES/AACR-AWARD-FOR-OUTSTANDING-ACHIEVEMENT-IN-CHEMISTRY-IN-CANCER-RESEARCH___8470D6.ASPX">AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry in Cancer Research</a> in 2007 to recognize the importance of chemistry to advancements in cancer research. The award is given for outstanding, novel, and significant chemistry research, which has led to important contributions to the fields of basic cancer research, translational cancer research, cancer diagnosis, the prevention of cancer, or the treatment of patients with cancer.</p><p>Low is being recognized for his pioneering development of low molecular weight ligands to deliver attached therapeutic and imaging agents selectively into pathologic cells such as cancer cells. This targeted therapeutic approach improves potency and reduces toxicity. Currently, there are nine low molecular weight ligand-targeted drugs being tested in cancer clinical trials. One of these drugs uses folic acid to target the highly toxic chemotherapeutic agent desacetylvinblastine hydrazide to cancer cells bearing the folate receptor, and it has shown great promise in clinical trials as a potential treatment for folate receptor-positive non-small cell lung cancers. The technology also has the potential to motivate fundamental changes in surgery. In 2011, the first fluorescence-guided surgery was performed on an ovarian cancer patient using the technology invented by Low&#58; Surgeons were able to see clusters of cancer cells as small as one-tenth of a millimeter, as opposed to the average minimal cluster size of 2 millimeters in diameter using the current visual and tactile detection. </p><p>“We have seen considerable interest in using our tumor-targeted fluorescent dyes for fluorescence-guided surgery of cancers, with surgeons at Leiden University, Mayo Clinic, University of Pennsylvania, Moffitt Cancer Center, and UC Irvine all involved in exploring new applications of the technology,” said Low. “Applications are emerging in localization of occult disease, assessment of lymph node metastases, minimization of positive margins, and presurgical endoscopic staging of cancer patients.”</p><p>Low’s research on low molecular weight ligand-targeted therapeutic and imaging agents has yielded more than 40 U.S. patents or patents pending. </p><p>His achievements have been recognized by numerous awards throughout his career, including the Roland T. Lakey Award, the Mathias P. Mertes Award, the Morrill Award, the American Chemical Society’s Award for Cancer Research (George and Christine Sosnovsky Award), the Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year Award, and Brigham Young University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. He has also been elected to the National Academy of Inventors.</p><p>In addition to the AACR, Low is a member of numerous professional societies, such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, and the American Society of Hematology. He also serves as president of the Folate Receptor Society, as chair of multiple scientific conferences, and on the editorial boards of several journals. </p><p>Low received his doctorate from the University of California, San Diego and joined Purdue’s faculty in 1976, following a year of postdoctoral work at the University of Massachusetts.</p><p>The AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry in Cancer Research is generously supported by Ash Stevens, Inc.</p><p><a href="/Documents/15AM_Press_Registration_Form.pdf" target="_blank">Press registration</a> for the AACR Annual Meeting 2015 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.</p><p><a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank"><img alt="#AACR15" src="/PublishingImages/Twitter-bird-blue-on-white_50x50.jpg" style="margin&#58;5px;" /></a>&#160;<a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#AACR15</a></p></div>

<div class="ExternalClass8605FE85B2554A5B8EF8FCE87BE916D7"><p>PHILADELPHIA — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will award the 18th annual AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Memorial Lectureship to Sara A. Courtneidge, PhD, DSc, at the <a href="/Meetings/Pages/MeetingDetail.aspx?EventItemID=25">AACR Annual Meeting 2015</a>, to be held in Philadelphia, April 18-22. <img alt="Sara A. Courtneidge, PhD, DSc" src="/PublishingImages/Courtneidge_Sara_150x200.jpg" style="margin&#58;10px;vertical-align&#58;auto;float&#58;right;" /></p><p>She is being recognized for her seminal contributions to current understanding of Src-family kinases, which control essential signaling pathways necessary for normal physiology and cancer development, as well as her advocacy for women in science.</p><p>Courtneidge, a professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology at Oregon Health &amp; Science University (OHSU) in Portland and senior investigator for OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute, will deliver her lecture, “Cancer Cell Invasion and Metastasis,” Saturday, April 18, 5&#58;30 p.m. ET, in Terrace Ballroom II/III of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.</p><p>The <a href="/Research/Awards/PAGES/WICR-FRIEND-LECTURESHIP-___8470D6.ASPX">AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Memorial Lectureship</a> was established in 1998 in honor of renowned virologist Charlotte Friend, PhD, discoverer of the Friend virus, for her pioneering research on viruses, cell differentiation, and cancer. The lectureship recognizes an outstanding scientist who has made meritorious contributions to the field of cancer research and who has, through leadership or by example, furthered the advancement of women in science. </p><p>“I am honored to have the opportunity to deliver a lecture that recognizes both my scientific achievements and the importance of leadership and mentorship,” Courtneidge said. “Throughout my career, I have seen the power of strong leadership in advancing discovery as well as the benefit of bringing multiple perspectives to our most challenging scientific questions. True success is most often achieved by those who help others leverage opportunities and generously share their knowledge to ensure progress.”</p><p>Courtneidge’s research has focused on the first oncogene to be discovered, Src, and how its dysregulation contributes to cancer. She is known for her research on oncologic transformation, including her discovery that the RSV v-Src transforming protein and its cellular counterpart, c-Src, are plasma membrane-associated, anchored to the membrane via an N-terminal myristoyl group. </p><p>She discovered that the middle T antigen of polyomavirus is associated with c-Src, a finding that revolutionized the DNA tumor virus field. Courtneidge also found that c-Src is activated by association with the PDGF receptor tyrosine kinase, and is required for mitogenic signaling in a pathway that leads to c-Myc. </p><p>Recently, Courtneidge identified the Tks4 and Tks5 adaptor proteins as Src substrates and showed that they function through Nox-mediated ROS generation at the surface of tumor cells where they trigger formation of invadopodia, which secrete proteases essential for tumor cell invasion through normal tissue. </p><p>Courtneidge has been an active AACR member, having served on the board of directors, the nominating committee, as program chair of the Annual Meeting 2003, and as a scientific editor of several journals. She is currently on the editorial board of Cancer Today, the AACR’s consumer-oriented publication. Courtneidge is also an adjunct professor at Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, California, and the University of California, San Diego. A native of the United Kingdom, Courtneidge graduated from the University of Leeds and received her doctorate from the National Institute for Medical Research in London. Prior to joining OHSU in 2014, Courtneidge was director of the tumor microenvironment and metastasis program and academic affairs at Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute.</p><p><a href="/Documents/15AM_Press_Registration_Form.pdf" target="_blank">Press registration</a> for the AACR Annual Meeting 2015 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.</p><p><a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23aacr15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank"><img alt="#AACR15" src="/PublishingImages/Twitter-bird-blue-on-white_50x50.jpg" style="margin&#58;5px;" /></a>&#160;<a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23aacr15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#AACR15</a></p></div>

<div class="ExternalClassD7D480FCE0EA4D43B6EADABF2B0A4F45"><p>PHILADELPHIA — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Cancer Society will recognize Mitchell H. Gail, MD, PhD, with the 24th annual AACR-American Cancer Society Award for Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention at the <a href="/Meetings/Pages/MeetingDetail.aspx?EventItemID=25">AACR Annual Meeting 2015</a>, to be held in Philadelphia, April 18-22. <img alt="Mitchell H. Gail, MD, PhD" src="/PublishingImages/Gail_Mitchell_150x200.jpg" style="margin&#58;10px;vertical-align&#58;auto;float&#58;right;" /></p><p><a href="http&#58;//dceg.cancer.gov/about/staff-directory/biographies/K-N/gail-mitchell" target="_blank">Gail</a>, who is a senior investigator in the Biostatistics Branch of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Maryland, is being recognized for his pioneering statistical work in cancer research and development of cancer risk prediction models, in particular models for breast cancer risk projection. He will present his lecture, “Risk Models and Cancer Prevention,” Tuesday, April 21, 3 p.m. ET, in the Grand Ballroom of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.</p><p>The <a href="/Research/Awards/Pages/aacr-acs-award___8470D6.aspx">AACR-American Cancer Society Award for Research Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention</a> was established in 1992 to honor outstanding research accomplishments in the fields of cancer epidemiology, biomarkers, and prevention. </p><p>Gail described in 1989 a statistical model that estimated the absolute risk for a white woman of a specific age with specific risk factors—age of first live birth, age of menarche, number of first-degree relatives with breast cancer, and number of previous breast biopsies—to develop breast cancer. The model, commonly known as the “Gail model,” was the first cancer risk prediction model that could be applied in a generalized population. The NCI’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, which is widely used in clinical settings, is an adapted version of the Gail model. Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration used this model to determine a 5-year breast cancer risk cutoff for approval of tamoxifen for use as a chemopreventative in women aged 35 and older. Gail continued to build on his findings to determine the risks versus benefits of chemopreventative tamoxifen use and to more accurately assess the risk of developing breast cancer among African-American, Asian-American, and Hispanic women.</p><p>“I am honored to be associated with the outstanding former recipients of this award. This recognition is largely the result of productive collaborations and of sustained support of my research by the Intramural Program of the National Cancer Institute,” Gail said.</p><p>Gail has been honored with numerous awards throughout his career, including the Nathan Mantel Lifetime Achievement Award from the statistics in epidemiology section of the American Statistical Association, the PHS Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Society for Preventive Oncology, the National Institute of Health’s Merit Award, and the inaugural Breslow Lecture. He has served on numerous journal editorial boards and society committees, and is a past-president of the American Statistical Association. Additionally, he has been elected to several societies, including the Institute of Medicine and as fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.</p><p>Gail received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in Boston and his master’s and doctoral degrees in mathematical statistics from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He has been with the NCI since 1969, following an internship at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston.</p><p><a href="/Documents/15AM_Press_Registration_Form.pdf" target="_blank">Press registration</a> for the AACR Annual Meeting 2015 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers. </p><p><a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank"><img alt="#AACR15" src="/PublishingImages/Twitter-bird-blue-on-white_50x50.jpg" style="margin&#58;5px;" /></a>&#160;<a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#AACR15</a></p></div>

<div class="ExternalClassFCEF8E80CABD4B84A9FA2C3A0147F2D3"><p>PHILADELPHIA — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will honor Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, deputy director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, with the 20th annual AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research at the <a href="/Meetings/Pages/MeetingDetail.aspx?EventItemID=25">AACR Annual Meeting 2015</a>, to be held in Philadelphia, April 18-22. <img alt="Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD" src="/PublishingImages/Jaffee_Elizabeth_150x200.jpg" style="margin&#58;10px;vertical-align&#58;auto;float&#58;right;" /></p><p>Jaffee is being recognized for her outstanding contributions to cancer immunology in both the pre-clinical and early clinical settings. Her pioneering work in immunotherapies for breast and pancreatic cancers has been tremendously influential to the discovery and development of new and effective cancer treatments, providing renewed hope for those diagnosed with these diseases. In addition to her scientific accomplishments, she is also recognized as a mentor for the next generation of researchers and clinicians.</p><p>This <a href="/Research/Awards/Pages/burchenal-award___8470D6.aspx">award </a>was established in 1996 to recognize outstanding achievements in clinical cancer research. It is named for the late Dr. Joseph H. Burchenal, honorary member and past president of the AACR, and a major figure in clinical cancer research and chemotherapy.</p><p><a href="http&#58;//www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/results/directory/profile/0004285/elizabeth-jaffee" target="_blank">Jaffee</a>, who is also the Dana and Albert “Cubby” Broccoli professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-director of the Skip Viragh Center for Pancreas Cancer, the Gastrointestinal Cancer Program, and the Cancer Immunology Program and Immunology and Hematopoiesis Division, will present her lecture, “Immunologic Treatments for Pancreatic Cancer&#58;&#160; Current and Future Strategies,” Tuesday, April 21, 4&#58;15 p.m. ET, in the Grand Ballroom of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.</p><p>“I am honored to be recognized by the AACR for my contributions to cancer research, and to be considered among an amazing group of clinical innovators who have come before me,” Jaffee said.</p><p>Jaffee is credited with opening the door to immunotherapy as a potential treatment for pancreatic cancer. Her numerous clinical research successes include testing one of the earliest therapeutic pancreatic cancer vaccines (GVAX) in 1997. She has also shown that mesothelin is a viable target for therapeutic vaccines and adoptive therapy for pancreatic cancer. Jaffee recently led a phase II trial that showed that a GVAX prime and Listeria Monocytogenes vaccine boost improved overall survival for patients with pancreatic cancer; this approach was recently granted breakthrough status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Jaffee is currently leader of the Stand Up To Cancer-Lustgarten Foundation Dream Team&#58; Transforming Pancreatic Cancer to a Treatable Disease. The Dream Team is conducting combination clinical trials and establishing biomarkers of tumor microenvironment reprogramming. The trials focus on novel immune-suppressive pathways within the tumor, either in combination with a T cell-activating vaccine or chemotherapy.</p><p>Jaffee is an active AACR member, currently serving on the board of directors, as chair of the Cancer Immunology Working Group, and as co-chair of the Immunology Program Committee at this year’s AACR Annual Meeting. Additionally, she is deputy editor of <em>Cancer Immunology Research</em> and has been active in AACR mentoring programs, including those as part of the Women in Cancer Research Working Group. </p><p>Jaffee received her medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla and completed an internship and residency at the University of Pittsburgh’s Presbyterian-University Hospital. She first came to Johns Hopkins to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in 1989 and joined the faculty in 1992.</p><p>The AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research is generously supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb.</p><p><a href="/Documents/15AM_Press_Registration_Form.pdf" target="_blank">Press registration</a> for the AACR Annual Meeting 2015 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.</p><p><a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank"><img alt="#AACR15" src="/PublishingImages/Twitter-bird-blue-on-white_50x50.jpg" style="margin&#58;5px;" /></a>&#160;<a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#AACR15</a></p></div>

<div class="ExternalClass38F5AF16F8DA4EF09CCBD76AFD06AC99"><p>PHILADELPHIA — Lucile L. Adams-Campbell, PhD, professor of oncology, associate director of minority health and disparities research, and associate dean of community health and outreach at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., is being honored with the 10th annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Minorities in Cancer Research (MICR) Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship at the <a href="/Meetings/Pages/MeetingDetail.aspx?EventItemID=25">AACR Annual Meeting 2015</a>, to be held in Philadelphia, April 18-22. <img alt="Lucile L. Adams-Campbell, PhD" src="/PublishingImages/Adams-Campbell_Lucile_150x200.jpg" style="margin&#58;10px;vertical-align&#58;auto;float&#58;right;" /></p><p><a href="http&#58;//explore.georgetown.edu/people/lla9/" target="_blank">Adams-Campbell</a> is being recognized for her scientific contributions in the area of cancer epidemiology and health disparities, which have the potential to influence cancer care nationally and internationally, and for her dedication to fostering the development of minorities in cancer research.</p><p>She will present her lecture, “A Prospective Approach to Breast Cancer Risk in Black Women&#58; A View from Two Cohorts – WHI and BWHS,” Sunday, April 19, 3&#58;15 p.m. ET, in the Terrace Ballroom II/III of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.</p><p>The <a href="/Research/Awards/PAGES/MICR-WRIGHT-LECTURESHIP___8470D6.ASPX">AACR-MICR Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship</a> was established in 2006 to give recognition to an outstanding scientist who has made meritorious contributions to the field of cancer research and who has, through leadership or by example, furthered the advancement of minority investigators in cancer research.</p><p>“It is truly an honor to receive this lectureship in the name of Jane Cooke Wright, a pioneer and role model for all women and African-Americans in the field of medicine,” Adams-Campbell said.</p><p>Adams-Campbell is known for her important contributions to the field of epidemiology. Her research focus has been diseases that disproportionately affect African Americans, including breast, prostate, and colon cancers, and identifying ways to overcome health disparities through disease prevention. She leads the National Institute of Minority Health and Disparities Center of Excellence for Health Disparities. She also is the co-principal investigator of&#160; the Black Women’s Health Study, which led to the identification of obesity, diet, and physical inactivity as factors influencing risk for diseases disproportionately affecting African-American women such as cancer, lupus, high blood pressure, and diabetes, as well as served as co-principal investigator of the Women’s Health Initiative. Additionally, Adams-Campbell served as principal investigator&#160; the National Cancer Institute’s Minority Based Community Oncology Program, which was implemented to improve the number of black participants in clinical trials. Her research is inclusive of clinical trials, cancer epidemiology and etiology, and lifestyle interventions.</p><p>In 1983, Adams-Campbell became the first African-American woman in the country to receive a doctorate in epidemiology, when she received hers from the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh.</p><p>A member of the AACR since 1995, Adams-Campbell has been involved in numerous committees, including the Women in Cancer Research (WICR) Council, of which she is currently a member, and the <em>Cancer Prevention Research </em>editorial board. She has also served as chair of the MICR Council and Minority Issues Committee, and as a mentor in the Scientist↔Survivor Program and WICR career program. Her work was also recognized in 2010 with the AACR Minority-Serving Institution Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research Award. </p><p>Adams-Campbell is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine and has received gold medallions from both of her alma maters, Drexel University in Philadelphia, where she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and the University of Pittsburgh. </p><p>Before joining the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2008, Adams-Campbell was director of Howard University Cancer Center. She is also a visiting professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, adjunct professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, and adjunct professor of medical and clinical psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. </p><p>This lectureship is named in honor of Jane Cooke Wright, MD, a pioneer in clinical cancer chemotherapy and an exceptional scientist who has made important contributions to research in this field, and who passed away in 2013 at the age of 93. Wright, a member of the AACR since 1954, became the highest ranking black woman at a nationally recognized medical institution in 1967, at a time when there were only a few hundred black, female physicians in the United States. She attended the AACR Annual Meeting each year since the lectureship’s establishment in order to provide opening remarks and introduce the year’s lecturer. She was elected into the inaugural class of fellows of the AACR Academy in 2013. <a href="/Membership/Shared%20Documents/Jane_Cooke_Wright___2141F3.pdf" target="_blank">Learn more</a>&#160;about Wright. </p><p><a href="/Documents/15AM_Press_Registration_Form.pdf" target="_blank">Press registration</a> for the AACR Annual Meeting 2015 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.</p><p><a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank"><img alt="#AACR15" src="/PublishingImages/Twitter-bird-blue-on-white_50x50.jpg" style="margin&#58;5px;" /></a>&#160;<a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#AACR15</a></p></div>

<div class="ExternalClassC432795846C34C7994D8EE12D128E61C"><p>PHILADELPHIA — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will recognize William C. Hahn, MD, PhD, with the 39th annual AACR-Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Memorial Award at the <a href="/Meetings/Pages/MeetingDetail.aspx?EventItemID=25">AACR Annual Meeting 2015</a>, to be held in Philadelphia, April 18-22. <img alt="William C. Hahn, MD, PhD" src="/PublishingImages/Hahn_William_150x200.jpg" style="margin&#58;10px;vertical-align&#58;auto;float&#58;right;" /></p><p><a href="http&#58;//researchers.dana-farber.org/directory/profile.asp?pict_id=0000378&amp;gs=r" target="_blank">Hahn</a>, who is the chief of the Division of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, chair of the Executive Committee for Research, and director of the Center for Cancer Genome Discovery at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, is being honored for his seminal contributions to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying cancer initiation, maintenance, and progression. His work has defined new conceptual paradigms and has provided a foundation for novel therapeutic approaches that are now being tested in the clinic. Hahn’s dedication and innovative approaches to cancer research are continuing to transform the field.</p><p>He will present his lecture, “Systematic Identification of Cancer Targets,” Monday, April 20, 4&#58;30 p.m. ET, in Terrace Ballroom II/III of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.</p><p>“This is a tremendous honor that I share with all of the members of my lab past and present,” said Hahn, who is also associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an institute member of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. </p><p>This <a href="/Research/Awards/PAGES/ROSENTHAL-AWARD___8470D6.ASPX" target="_blank">award</a> provides incentive to young investigators early in their careers, so it is stipulated that recipients be no older than 50 at the time the award is received. It was established in 1977 by the AACR and the Rosenthal Family Foundation to recognize research that has made, or promises to soon make, a notable contribution to improved clinical care in the field of cancer. </p><p>An active AACR member, Hahn is a senior editor of <em>Molecular Cancer Research</em>, and an editorial board member of <em>Cancer Research</em> and <em>Cancer Discovery</em>. Additionally, he recently co-chaired the 2015 AACR Special Conference&#58; Translation of the Cancer Genome.</p><p>Hahn has been a member of the Harvard Medical School faculty throughout his career, which is where he also received his bachelor’s, medical, and doctoral degrees. Additionally, he was a resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, a clinical fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals, and a postdoctoral fellow at the Whitehead Institute.</p><p><a href="/Documents/15AM_Press_Registration_Form.pdf" target="_blank">Press registration</a> for the AACR Annual Meeting 2015 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.</p><p><a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank"><img alt="#AACR15" src="/PublishingImages/Twitter-bird-blue-on-white_50x50.jpg" style="margin&#58;5px;" /></a>&#160;<a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#AACR15</a></p></div>

<div class="ExternalClass92C6741269C9486799F622BF623F22D4"><p>PHILADELPHIA — The members of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) have elected five members to serve on the AACR board of directors for the 2015-2018 term and four members to serve on the nominating committee for the 2015-2017 term. They will begin their terms at the <a href="/Meetings/Pages/MeetingDetail.aspx?EventItemID=25">AACR Annual Meeting 2015</a>, to be held in Philadelphia, April 18-22.</p><p><strong>The following five scientists were elected to the board of directors&#58;</strong></p><p><strong>George D. Demetri, MD</strong>, is professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, director of the Ludwig Center at Harvard, director of the Center for Sarcoma and Bone Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, senior vice president for experimental therapeutics and staff physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, co-associate director of clinical science, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, affiliate physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a visiting clinical attending physician at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.</p><p>Demetri is currently a member of the AACR Chemistry in Cancer Research Working Group.</p><p><strong>Patricia M. LoRusso, DO</strong>, is professor of medicine in the Division of Oncology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and associate director of innovative medicine at Yale Cancer Center.</p><p>LoRusso is currently chair-elect designate of the AACR Women in Cancer Research Council, co-chair of the Annual Meeting Clinical Trials Committee, and an editorial board member of <em>Molecular Cancer Therapeutics</em>.</p><p><strong>Richard M. Marais, MD</strong>, is director and senior group leader of the Molecular Oncology Group at the Cancer Research U.K. Manchester Institute, center co-lead at the Cancer Research U.K. Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, scientific co-director at the Belfast-Manchester Movember Centre of Excellence, and professor of molecular oncology at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.</p><p>Marais is currently co-chair of the AACR Annual Meeting Education Committee and the Program Committee, a scientific editor of <em>Cancer Discovery</em>, a member of the Cancer Immunology Working Group, and co-chair of the Stand Up To Cancer-Cancer Research UK Translational Research Fellowship Joint Scientific Advisory Committee.</p><p><strong>Elaine R. Mardis, PhD</strong>, is Robert E. and Louise F. Dunn distinguished professor of medicine, co-director of the Genome Institute, professor in the Departments of Genetics and Molecular Microbiology, and assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.</p><p>Mardis is currently senior editor of <em>Molecular Cancer Research </em>and a member of the Special Conferences Committee and the Clinical and Translational Cancer Research Steering Committee.</p><p><strong>Edith A. Perez, MD</strong>, is deputy director at large at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Serene M. and Frances C. Durling professor of medicine, director of the Breast Cancer Translational Genomics Program, and chair of the Breast Cancer Specialty Council at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Jacksonville, Florida.</p><p>Perez is currently chair-elect of the AACR Minorities in Cancer Research Council, and a member of the Science Policy and Government Affairs Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee.</p><p><strong>The following four scientists were elected to the nominating committee&#58;</strong></p><p><strong>Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD</strong>, is a professor in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, a professor of medicine in medical oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and</p><p>principal faculty at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.<br>Polyak is currently a member of the AACR Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research Committee and the Pediatric Cancer Working Group.</p><p><strong>Charles L. Sawyers, MD</strong>, is chairperson of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, and a professor in the Cell and Developmental Biology Program at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University. He is also a fellow of the AACR Academy.</p><p>Sawyers served as AACR president from 2013 to 2014. He is currently a scientific editor of <em>Cancer Discovery </em>and co-leader of the Stand Up To Cancer-Prostate Cancer Foundation Prostate Cancer Dream Team, “Precision Therapy of Advanced Prostate Cancer.” </p><p><strong>William R. Sellers, MD</strong>, is vice president and global head of oncology at Novartis Institutes of BioMedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, associate member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and an associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.</p><p>Sellers served as chair of the AACR special conference, “Translation of the Cancer Genome,” in 2009 and 2015, as well as keynote speaker in 2011, and as chair of the Research Grant Review Committee.</p><p><strong>Inder M. Verma, PhD</strong>, is a professor in the Laboratory of Genetics at The Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, and adjunct professor in the Department of Biology at the University of California, San Diego. He is also a fellow of the AACR Academy.</p><p>Verma served as a program committee member of the AACR international conference, “New Horizons in Cancer Research&#58; Biology to Prevention and Therapy,” in India, and on the International Affairs Committee. </p><p><a href="/Documents/15AM_Press_Registration_Form.pdf" target="_blank">Press registration</a> for the AACR Annual Meeting 2015 is free to qualified journalists and public information officers.</p><p>Follow the AACR Annual Meeting 2015 on Twitter&#58; <a href="https&#58;//twitter.com/search?f=realtime&amp;q=%23AACR15&amp;src=typd" target="_blank">#AACR15</a></p></div>

<div class="ExternalClass935A1CC7B7D3488B9BE8C8DFB7EC23F6"><p>PHILADELPHIA — DT2219, a new bispecific ligand-directed diphtheria toxin, was found to be safe and clinically effective in a small group of patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies, according to phase I clinical trial data <a href="http&#58;//clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/21/6/1267.abstract" target="_blank">published</a> in <em>Clinical Cancer Research</em>, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.<img alt="Daniel Vallera, PhD" src="/PublishingImages/Vallera_Daniel_150x200.jpg" style="margin&#58;10px;vertical-align&#58;auto;float&#58;right;" /></p><p>“In this phase I trial, we found a safe dose of the drug that has biological activity,” said <a href="http&#58;//give.umn.edu/stories/clinical-trial-triumph" target="_blank">Daniel Vallera, PhD</a>, professor of radiation oncology and director of the section on molecular cancer therapeutics at Masonic Cancer Center in the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. “Of the 10 evaluable patients, two of them responded. We are planning a phase II trial with this drug. It will focus on giving more cycles of treatment, which we believe will dramatically enhance the response rates.”</p><p>Almost all patients with a group of blood cancers called B-cell malignancies have two prominent “fingerprints” on the surface of leukemia and lymphoma cancers, called CD22 and CD19, Vallera explained. To develop the drug, Vallera and colleagues chose two antibody fragments that each selectively bind to CD19 and CD22. They used genetic engineering to attach these two antibodies to a potent toxin, the bacterial diphtheria toxin. When the antibody fragments bind to the two targets on the cancer cell, the entire drug enters the cell, and the toxin kills the cell.</p><p>Vallera; Veronika Bachanova, MD, PhD, oncologist and an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota; and colleagues enrolled 25 patients to the trial. Patients had chemo-refractory pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and had received two to five prior therapies, with eight of them having had previous unsuccessful bone marrow transplantations. All tumors were confirmed to have CD19 and/or CD22 proteins.</p><p>In this dose-escalation study, all patients received a single cycle of varying doses of the immunotoxin therapy. Two patients had durable objective responses. One of them had a complete remission after receiving two cycles of treatment. The maximum tolerated dose was not reached but clinical responses occurred between doses 40 to 80 µg/kg administered in four infusions. </p><p>“We were surprised that the drug was effective enough to entirely eliminate the cancer in one of our patients. Further, we expected the patients to make antibodies against the bacterial toxin and thus reject our drug. Surprisingly, this did not occur in the majority of our patients [70 percent],” said Vallera. “We need to study more patients to understand why they did not produce neutralizing antibodies. However, we also have been working to create a less immunogenic form of the toxin for the next-generation drug.” </p><p>Vallera added, “Another important fact about our drug is that it was home-grown, meaning there was no commercial partner, which is rare. The drug was funded mostly with private donations including individuals that have lost loved ones to cancer.”</p><p>This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Randy Shaver Foundation, the Lions Children’s Cancer Fund, and the William Lawrence and Blanche Hughes Foundation. Vallera declares no conflicts of interest. </p></div>